Sunday, August 2, 2020
11:30 AM on Zoom
Join us at this Social Justice Call to Action Meeting to vote on a public congregational statement on Black Lives Matter. (Click image or see the full statement at the bottom of this post.)
Per Article XIII: Public Statements of the bylaws, we are announcing this meeting at least 2 Sundays prior to the meeting. Meeting participants will discuss and vote whether to approve the statement during this meeting; the statement can be approved by a 3/4 vote of members present.
Everyone is welcome to participate in the meeting, however only members may vote. To ensure their votes are counted, each voting member must register and attend the meeting on their own device (smartphone, computer, tablet).
Each participant needs to register in advance using this link:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAtce2pqTItEtVpxgJWAYFnE_RiNTd7JvBG
If you are not able to attend the meeting, Article XIII provides for written statements less than 300 words to be submitted a head of time to be read in your absence. Please note that these written statements do not equal a vote. If you prepare a written statement to be read, please send it to SocialJustice@hvuuc.org
After you register, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the meeting. When you join, you’ll be muted upon entry. If you have a question or comment, please use the “raise hand” function (see below). You will be called on and unmuted in the order of hand raises. If someone answers your question you can “lower” your hand. As in our Annual Meetings, all participants who wish to speak on the issue will be have an opportunity before any participant speaks for a 2nd time. Each verbal statement will be limited to three (3) minutes.
Voting will happen via polls, which is why every voting member must register and attend on a separate device. Please answer each question AND hit ‘submit" to vote. The results will be tabulated automatically.
Zoom Instructions:
If you are new to Zoom, please don’t wait until the last minute to check this out.
If you haven’t used Zoom before, you probably will be prompted to download the Zoom app to your phone or computer when you click the URL in your email. Please do this.
Once Zoom is installed, click the URL sent to your email after registering to head directly into the meeting.
You might have to choose an “Audio Conference Option.”
You can connect to video conferencing from a tablet or smart phone if using your computer is problematic.
If your computer or device has working speakers and microphone, choose “Computer Audio” or “Device Audio.”
Participating in a Zoom Meeting:
You might have to start video manually (video camera icon). You might have to join audio manually (headphones icon). Everyone will be muted when they enter the meeting.
Since this meeting potentially has a large number of participants, the host will unmute participants when they have a question or something to say, it’s just like passing the microphone.
On some devices there will be viewing options, we recommend using “Speaker View” rather than “Gallery View” for this meeting. The symbol for this is a grid of nine squares in the (usually) upper right corner of the screen.
Raising Your Hand
To raise your hand, click on the three dots/”more” in the lower right corner of your screen. (You might have to move your mouse for them to show up.) You can lower your hand the same way.
One last note on multiple devices in one physical room: Just don’t do it. The feedback is painful. Each member should attend on their own device, from physically separated spaces.
Black Lives Matter Statement to be voted on:
Holston Valley Unitarian Universalist Church denounces all forms of institutional racism and cultural violence. We stand in ongoing solidarity with Black people, indigenous people, and people of color harmed by both past and present injustices.
The recent vigilante and police killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Rayshard Brooks, among others unnamed and unacknowledged, represent the system of white supremacy. We decry and mourn their sufferings, as well as the conditions that produce such acts.
Peace and equity are often difficult to achieve under conditions of deep injustice. We must all work to eliminate racism in our families, our neighborhoods, and our places of work and worship by first learning to make changes in ourselves.
As Unitarian Universalists, our first Principle affirms the worth and dignity of every person. Keeping this always in our consciousness, we invite all church members, congregants, and friends of the church to pause with deep self-reflection on the ways in which we are called to confront and combat these forces.
At Holston Valley Unitarian Universalist Church we must help create a beloved community where Black Lives Matter.